Siri vs Google Now

Both iOS 7 and Android 4.3 offer intelligent assistance provided by Siri and Google Now respectively. The former recognizes commands spoken in every-day language, so you can ask it to set your alarm clock, a reminder, or even send a text message to a specific contact, or get you driving directions. Moreover, Siri can search the web via Bing, look up things on Wikipedia, or check what's trending on Twitter. Don't speak English? No worries! Siri recognizes input in French or German as well.

Google Now is a little bit different. It is also capable of interpreting accurately your voice commands, but in addition, it attempts to provide the user with relevant information exactly when they need it. For example, driving directions will appear if it is the end of the work day. If you just looked up some place on Google Maps, Google Now will show you how to get there when triggered. If you have a plane trip coming, it will provide you with up-to-date details about your flight. And if you're in a different country, Google Now lists places of interest, currency exchange rates, and other useful information.

All in all, both Siri and Google Now are great additions complementing the overall user experience and can come in handy in all kinds of situations.

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iOS 7 vs Android 4.3

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iOS 7 vs Android 4.3

Internet browser

Both Chrome on Android 4.3 and Safari on iOS 7 are ideal for surfing the web as they are very fast, with support for multiple tabs and incognito browsing. Also, both can synchronize bookmarks and opened tabs between multiple devices, which is pretty cool for people who have to switch frequently between their desktop computer and a smartphone or tablet. We only wish that Chrome had Safari's Reader mode, which cleans all unnecessary content from a web page, leaving only an article's text and some images for easier reading.

Maps

There was a time when Apple Maps was ridiculed for its shortcomings, but things have changed since then. The fact of the matter is that Apple's maps application is now more reliable and has all the features one would expect out of a proper app of this kind. It can give you adequate directions depending on whether you're driving, walking, or using public transportation. Locations can be quickly shared with others or bookmarked for future use. Same features can be found on Google Maps as well. While neither solutions will provide you with true offline navigation in a way that Nokia's maps would, both Apple Maps and Google Maps can cache map data in order to navigate you without relying on internet connectivity.

Camera UI and Image Gallery

The stock camera interface on Android 4.3 leaves something to be desired. For people who aren't familiar with its arrangement, the UI can be confusing and frustrating to use. We assume that Google has tried to simplify its use by making all knobs and switches available at a tap's distance, but that's clearly not a solution all users would be comfortable with. The iOS 7 camera interface, on the other hand, is simple and intuitive. Even a newbie can get the hang of it in no time. The newly added filters make the experience even more enjoyable.

The iOS 7 gallery application has grown smarter now and it can sort your images based on the time and location they were taken at. It also lets you edit the image by adding filters, removing red eyes, fine-tuning the color balance, or simply cropping it in a desired proportion. Sharing photos online, be it on Facebook, Twitter, or via Email, is also an option, although a huge drawback here is that sharing via other apps or services – Instagram, Skype, or WhatsApp, for example – is not available, while Android has had this option for ages. The Android 4.3 gallery app can also edit and share images, as well as to sort them by date or location, so we don't think it is any less functional. It would have been cooler, though, if there were more thumbnail sizes available in grid view.

Multimedia

Music player on iOS 7 vs Android 4.3

When it comes to multimedia playback, Android 4.3 does not care how you load your music or videos onto the device. The user is free to hook the smartphone or tablet to a computer and just copy and paste their media onto it folder by folder. Of course, one also has the option to purchase songs or movies via Google Play. With iOS 7, however, you don't quite have as much freedom. The iTunes application is what you must install onto your computer and use to transfer music or video onto the iOS device. Not that it's too bad of a solution, especially when doing so helps to keep your music organized, but some might find the limitation annoying.

If we had to pick between the iOS 7 music player app and Play Music on Android 4.3, we'd most likely go with the former. Apple's solution just feels a bit better organized, although Google's music player is definitely not bad either. Both apps allow one to control music playback from the lock screen, which definitely makes things more convenient. Also, they both come with built-in streaming music services – iTunes Radio for Apple's iOS 7 and Play Music All Access for Google's Android, and offer the ability to stream whatever audio the user has stored in the cloud.

To watch videos on Android 4.3 one has to use the Gallery application. Strange, we know, but for some reason, Android in its stock form lacks a dedicated video player. Fortunately, the Gallery gets the job done, although you might want to browse the Play Store for a proper video player in case you watch a lot of video on your smartphone. The iOS 7 video player is okay as well, with a pretty simple UI and support for closed captions.

Conclusion

It is pretty hard, if not impossible, to say whether iOS 7 or Android 4.3 is better. That would be like saying that bananas are better than oranges, or vice versa. The fact of the matter is that both operating systems are pretty well made. And perhaps we won't be wrong if we say that the two are in their best state to date, although we can't be sure whether the new look of iOS will appeal to all long-time fans of the platform. To wrap it all up, those who favor a clean, elegant, intuitive interface (also the people who aren't sure what they want) would likely be perfectly happy with iOS 7 in its latest form. Sure, it might be limited when it comes to customization, but it is well polished and crafted with lots of attention to detail. And let us not forget that iOS excels when it comes to availability of high-quality applications for download. On the other hand, people who are into tweaks and modifications, those who like the feeling of having more control over their smartphone would be better off with Android. It may lack the elegance of iOS, but it is still a full-fledged contemporary operating system loaded with useful features. Moreover, Google's Play Store tends to be richer in free applications, even though their quality sometimes lags behind that of the software made for iOS.

Well they compared things Apple can do to things android can do. Like the Calendar review is fair until you realize you can put your calendar in one of your home screens or on your home screen etc. You dont need to open your phone application to make a call, you can just click on someones picture on your homescreen. My wife just switched to Iphone from s3. She wishes she didnt. I went with S4.

My brother didn't really care for the changes in iOS7 as well and he went from an iPhone 4S to 5 to 5S. The only thing that bothers me about iOS7 is the super coloful Playskool icons on a device that looks pretty professional. If the iPhone 5s came with a 4.5" screen and a more staid color scheme in line with OSX I would probably consider it.

Also, despite running on Android 4.1.2 with LG's UI, my Spectrum 2 is just as fluid as my brother's iPhone 5s in scrolling, typing and browsing. So there's no lag on this Android and maybe I'll keep the phone long enough to see 4.3.

i dont know what OS your talking about cuz the two are not even close. as far as someone saying that it looks cheap?? are you kidding, lets be honest here the transition effects are pretty nice, the way they implement the folders is a nice thing to see. honestly i know this is a mostly pro android site by no fault of the site creators, but damn, i like what they did and they closed the gap is a pretty big way.

"routs texts over the web instead of eating up the user's monthly SMS allowance. "

Barring the typo, I disagree that this is an advantage of iOS. It's a major disadvantage. Everyone and their mother has unlimited texting. Few smartphone users have unlimited data. My brother repeatedly hits his data cap of 2GB, and has to disable mobile data often. iMessages no longer come through, and he misses texts from other iPhone users because of it.

I kinda disagree here. Text are a few kb to maybe a meg for a mms. But I have to pay 30 a month for unlimited texting on my 3 lines. So I would take it over my data plan anyday. Plus, at the place I work when I have to go out on to the manufacturing floor (not very often) I don't get texts because I don't have cell service. But there is WIFI out there.

i dont agree with you either, because one thing imessage does that i like so much, UNCOMPRESSED images and videos. i hate the fact that android does it, hey lets be honest, whats the point of a great camera when you send a picture mail compresses the image so much that you might as well send it with a flip phone.

As far as iMessages going over the data cap i think your missing something else, i would send about 10,000 text messages a month and never go over my data cap, so its not iMessages doing it i would take a longer look in to the phone and see where the real issue is.

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